How To Overcome Fear And Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Most of us have a pretty good idea of what we want our lives to look like. Tomorrow, the next day, or even thirty years from now. There are endless possibilities, for the path we might take to get there, but often times we choose the safe one. The path that ultimately strips all creativity away and leaves you unsatisfied with your life. But at what point do we stop dreaming of a different future, and start taking action? The answer is now. Today I’m sharing with you how to overcome fear and free yourself as a creative entrepreneur.

People like to stay within their comfort zones. It’s human nature, and basic survival instinct to avoid the unknown at all costs.

I remember back in college when I was forced to take a speech class for my Child Development major. My worst fear as an introvert was about to become my reality for six weeks.

To say that I was nervous, was an understatement. I was terrified.

No amount of imagining people naked was going to make this class easier for me.

My mind raced with horrible “what if” scenarios. The bad ones. Like, “What if I forgot what I was going to say?” or “What if I sucked so bad they started booing and throwing paper wads at me????”

The butterflies in my stomach urged me to run.

But I knew I couldn’t quite.

Even more, I recognized this truth : that I told myself stories about what I wanted or didn’t want, to hide underlying fears and protect myself from failure.

So I kept on.

I pushed past the fear of failure, and accepted that I could still fail, even if I tried my best.

During the first speech I gave in the class, my palms started sweating.

My feet became dead weights, and my face slowly turned the shade of an over ripe tomato.

But you know what? I survived.

The moment I began speaking about my topic, it was as if the entire class just melted away. My lips were moving, words were coming out of my mouth, and before I knew it, the class was clapping for me!

I sat back down in my seat with shaking hands and a heart racing a million miles an hour. But I grinned ridiculously as I realized that it was all over.

I had done it.

I had overcome my fear – even if just for that brief moment.

Before that day, I didn’t know I was capable of standing in front of over 50 people and speaking for over 10 minutes about my topic.

Yet, somewhere inside, I think I did know I could do it…because that’s what led me to try in the first place.

We all have fears…

My fear isn’t something I’ve eliminated. It’s always there. Trust me.

Whenever I publish a new post, meet someone new, or push myself out of my comfort zone – I’m terrified.

There is only one way to overcome this fear.

Recognize it.Then do it anyways.

You will make a greater impact on people, and change lives when you decide to get out of your comfort zone. And punch fear in the face.

Write Out Your Goals

Think about the things you want to accomplish and write them down. Even better, break them into manageable chunks.

It’s much easier to visualize what needs to be done, when it’s right in front of you. Post it on your wall, where you can look at it every single day as a reminder, that you can do it.

Define Your Why

This is one of the most important steps in overcoming your fear. Your why will be the driving force behind everything you do. Which is why, (no pun intended) I’m going to write an entire post on defining your why, so that I can help you really nail it down.

Stop Procrastinating

Everyone knows that procrastination is bad. But perfectionism, that’s good right? Wrong.

Perfectionists tend to put off a task as long as possible because they want it to be perfect. But perfectionists are just procrastinators in disguise.

When working to overcome your fear, you must adopt the Nike mindset.

Just do it.

Whatever “it” may be. Being finished, is more important than trying to make it perfect.

You learn by doing. It’s that simple.

Make New Friends

You are not alone.

There are over 6 billion people on this planet, and chances are, they are looking for a friend too.

Build yourself a support network. Even if it’s just one or two people, who can come along side you, and get you out of your comfort zone, it will make the world of a difference.

And today, it’s even easier to connect with people.

Join Fb Groups

There are so many wonderful Facebook groups for you to join. One of my personal favorites being The Rising Tide Society. The Rising Tide Society believes in educating and empowering creatives to thrive in the spirit of #communityovercompetition. If there is one place that will absolutely cheer you on, and help overcome your fear, it’s this group.

We also have our own Fb group The Moose Lounge for people who want a place to hang out with fellow creative entrepreneurs that aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone.

Join Twitter Chats

If you’re not familiar with Twitter Chats, basically they are a Q&A based conversation on a specific topic. The host will set a date, time and unique hashtag for everyone to meet up. These are great for immersing yourself in a community of like minded individuals.

Comment On Blogs

Get inspired by your industry’s leaders and comment on their blogs. Talk about points in their posts that resonated with you, or share your experience with that topic. Commenting on other blogs is essential to creating a community and building relationships.

Attend Tuesday’s Together

After a successful launch of the Rising Tide Society community online last year, industry leaders decided to create a way to connect locally. Tuesdays Together meet-ups are gatherings for small business owners who have a desire to share their knowledge, learn from their peers and grow together. These meetings will get you out from behind your computer screen and build true relationships in your local area. Most meet-ups occur on the second Tuesday of the month at local coffee shops.

2 Comments

These are all such great tips! My New Year’s resolution was to slow climb out of my comfort zone. I started a blog and have become more social. It has been the best thing I could have done. The entire month of January I didn’t feel this way, I am just proud of my self for sticking with what I told myself. I have heard of twitter chat but have never done one. I think I will put that on my list of things I’d like to do. This was so great! Thanks for sharing.

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Hello, and welcome to the Moose Studio Blog! We are Josh and Michaela - a wedding photography team based in Newport Beach, California. Grab some coffee and explore our latest work, browse resources for bloggers and get a peek in our life!